"No Man is an Island"

Well no man is an island, how true can this be. We are not made to live a life isolated and shielded from the real world and companionship/relationship is woven into the fabric of people. This is exactly why I live in Pendleton Heights (we in the neighborhood call it PH). If you want to wake up, get in your car in the garage, go to work, come home park in the garage, and go to sleep with little more than water cooler discussion at work for relationships, then PH might not be the place for you. But if you crave to know your neighbors and want to live in real community this is the place. Why, might you ask...I will give you examples... Need a tool to work on your house but don't have it, a few phones call and you are sure to lay your hand on what you need, no rentals, no need to buy a tool for one job. Wonder what your neighbors are doing...go sit on your front porch (a big thing in PH) with a glass of wine and you will soon find yourself in a conversation with one if not a couple of them. I love PH and not because I live here but because I see how this neighborhood has come together and believes in the people that are here. That is what make PH great...not the houses but the people!

"An urban neighborhood with real community"

I've lived in Pendleton Heights for over 3 years now. Moving here was one of the best things our family has done. We came from a suburb where we knew none of our neighbors, even after reaching out. People were so busy they had no time for each other.

What I love about PH:
1. Sense of community. After only living here for a little while, I know dozens of families and have developed friendships with several.
2. Diversity. I like that there's not a dominant political or cultural point of view. The friends I've met have been from all backgrounds and are glad to have spirited but friendly differences.
3. Purpose. Most of the people are here because they believe in this area and want to see it continue to transform. No matter our perspectives, we can work together to see that change come about.

There's no doubt that PH is not the suburbs. And that's why I love it. It's grittier, more challenging at times, and way more rewarding.

I have 3 little kids and our family has always felt safe here. We take normal precautions, but know more neighbors on this block than I've known in all past neighborhoods we've ever lived in. Pendleton Heights is worth it!

"Wonderful Community"

I was at first reserved about PH, with its proximity to a "sketchy" part of town, but my house mate assured me I would be perfectly safe and I must say its been a great experience living in this part of town! Not only is it perfectly safe but the neighbors and association is set in keeping it that way. Its so great to be apart of a community that believes in our thriving city! This part of the Northeast is on the mend, watch out for it :)

"The Best Kept Secret in KCMO"

I knew when I decided it was time to buy a home in the downtown KC area that, in addition to buying what I hoped would be my Dream Home (a spacious Victorian), I'd also be banking on a set of long term neighbors. There are lots of great old historic homes in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding downtown proper, but unless I could be fairly sure I'd be surrounded by neighbors whose passion for the urban core matched my own, I knew I'd never be happy. That reality was the impetus behind making regular visits to various neighborhood association meetings for about a year. At the end of it all, there were two neighborhoods whose meetings were regularly filled with great people with good ideas, but there was one neighborhood whose diverse, dedicated, and out-of-the-box thinkers tipped the scales and kept me coming back for more. Yep, Pendleton Heights.

In addition to "dating" different neighborhoods before moving here, I also did a comparative study of crime maps and police reports during that time. I was impressed that crime rates were lower than I thought they'd be, and from examining stats for the preceding three years, I noticed that the main one in Pendleton Heights was car break ins. It doesn't take a genius to do the math there: I figured that the chance of this happening to me would be vastly reduced if I didn't leave my cell phone or laptop sitting in my car overnight. And I was right- in the 6 years we've been here, we've never had a single crime-related problem. None.

But let's get back to the people who choose to call this place home: I LOVE my neighbors! Together we've organized regular neighborhood clean ups, we walk our dogs together, we have a book club, a knitting club, a mom's club, monthly cocktail parties, monthly swing dance lessons, free curbside glass recycling, a community garden, and we do fundraisers to make neighborhood improvements. In a nutshell, we are a thriving community of people from diverse backgrounds who aren't content to sit back and let life happen to us- we make it happen FOR us, the way we need it to. For all of us.

Oh, yeah, and as if all that wasn't enough, I have the home of my dreams on top of it all! The Pendleton Heights historic district rocks my socks off. If you're looking for a one of a kind home in an area filled with some of the dearest, quirkiest, most proactive individuals you could ever hope to meet (and live right next door to!), welcome home, baby!

"Pendelton Heights: KCs Best Kept Secret"

My husband and I have lived in PH for the last 4 years. We bought a small historic bungalow in the heart of the neighborhood. We cannot say enough good things about PH. We were originally drawn to the unique character of our house; we never would have guessed that we would inherit a community. PH is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in KC. The neighborhood is composed of young professionals, artists, refugees, and families. Lots of people around here call it KCs Best Kept Secret! Everywhere you look something new is happening to better this growing community. We feel blessed to be a part of the upswing that is Pendleton Heights!

"Best Neighborhood in Kansas City!"

I LOVE living in Pendleton Heights! Honestly, I moved into the neighborhood for the house (my list included green space, wood floors, high ceilings, charm - basically an affordable older home with a yard) and Pendleton provided exactly what I wanted – the Victorian Architecture is second to none in the city! In the end, however, I fell in love with the people and would never live anywhere else! PH is a truly diverse neighborhood - from older residents who have been in their homes for 85 years to young professionals rehabbing the historic houses to immigrants and refugees from around the world who are building a new life in Kansas City.
In Pendleton Heights, there is great sense of camaraderie amongst the residents - the people enjoy spending time with one another whether at neighborhood meetings and socials or on Friday nights just because they like each other or spontaneously on one another's porches - it's the way neighborhoods used to be! In addition, Pendleton provides easy access to all major highways and is minutes from City Market and Downtown. Kessler Park is one of the largest in Kansas City and Cliff Drive offers scenic views and great running, walking & cycling. Crossroads Academy, the new downtown charter school, offers bus service to Pendleton – the kids (& parents) love the school! A diverse community also means diverse cuisine – restaurants along Independence Avenue offer authentic Mexican, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern & more.
As with all neighborhoods east of Troost in Kansas City, perception says crime is high but the truth is, crime is higher in Midtown and on the Plaza than it is in Pendleton. I don’t have off-street parking and never worry about myself or my car – only break-in I’ve had in KC was in Crossroads.
Overall, Pendleton Heights is a lovely, affordable, historic neighborhood close to the heart of downtown full of lovely, loveable folks who love their neighborhood! Come join us!

An update because lots of cool stuff has been happening in Pendleton Heights!
Just received certification as a KC Green Neighborhood for projects like curbside glass recycling and composting, the community garden and orchard and the scooter club!
Even better, This Old House just named Pendleton Heights as the best Old House neighborhood in Missouri this year!
Google Fiber internet will be installed shortly making it even easier to surf the brand new pendletonheights.org website.
New school options: Woodland early learning center just opened one block south of PH. Scuola Vita Nuova, the neighborhood charter school, purchased a new campus and is expanding. Lots of families are loving Crossroads Academy downtown which provides bus service to PH.

"A real community with flavor and substance."

I've lived in Pendleton Heights for three years. The architecture is what initially attracted me, but the sense of community is what really made me fall in love with my neighborhood.
There are three schools within PH (Scuola Vita Nuova (charter), Garfield Elementary, and the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences). Pendleton Heights also falls within the district of Crossroads Academy, the new charter school at 10th and Central. Several children are attending this inaugural year, and two of those teachers live here in the neighborhood.
Crime stats are in line with River Market, Columbus Park, and other downtown neighborhoods. The KCMO Central Patrol distributes a daily report if you'd ever want more information about that.
Within the neighborhood, we have a monthly neighborhood association meeting, monthly neighborhood socials (okay...parties), a mom's group, a book club, a knitting group, dog walking, volunteer opportunities and countless ways to get out and meet your neighbors and become part of a community.
PH residents are truly an eclectic mix of people. It's always been a place for first generation immigrants (from the Irish in the late 1800s to Italian, Vietnamese, and now Mexico, Somalia, Burma and Bhutan immigrants and refugees). And that helps add to the unique flavor and substance you find in PH. Where else can you walk in one direction for dumplings, and another for goat soup?
And the passing of the Independence Avenue CID in the fall of 2012 means that we have extra street cleanup.
And we qualified for Google Fiber! PH gets wired by the fall of 2013.
Oh! And the parks! Holy cow, we have a lot of parks. Cliff Drive runs along the northern end, with plans to build and extension and connect that trail to the River Market in the next couple of years. We also have Independence Plaza Park, Kessler Park and two Boulevards as part of the original Park and Boulevard system in KC. The disc golf course runs along the north edge of the neighborhood.
And the place is beautiful. But I'm admittedly biased since I'm in love with the place. I can't imagine living anywhere else.